Zonta names Are You Bogged Mate? founder Mary O’Brien woman of the year

‘As I stood in a small country church and watched a young mother and her two children stand before a coffin, I couldn’t imagine how she was going to cope on Christmas, in just four day’s time.’

Mary O'Brien from Are You Bogged Mate? was named Zonta’s woman of the year.

After seeing the devastation to families and communities following two suicides, a Dalby woman started a mental health campaign.

Three years on, Mary O’Brien has been named the Zonta Woman of the Year for 2022.

“As I stood in a small country church and watched a young mother and her two children stand before a coffin, I couldn’t imagine how she was going to cope on Christmas, in just four day’s time,” she said.

“That tragic scene prompted me to research men’s mental health and particularly rural men’s mental health.

“The statistics I found during my research compelled me to write an article, an opinion piece. That is all I set out to do.

“In that article I used the analogy that mental health and depression is like getting bogged, sometimes we can get ourselves through the sticky patches but when we get properly bogged, we must ask someone for help.

“Most importantly, we don’t set fire to a machine no matter how badly bogged it is.

“The response to that article was incredible and has led to the Are You Bogged Mate? program, which I now deliver in every state in Australia.”

Mrs O’Brien’s program aims to engage with rural men, break down the stigma and connect them to support services.

“No location is too remote, no crowd too small. If we save one life, then it have been worth it,” she said.

“While our focus is on men, we never turn away anyone that reaches out to us for help.

“This has resulted in Are You Bogged Mate? helping many women right across rural Australia.

“Most are desperately looking for ways to support the men in their life.

“We have mothers in tears worried about their sons, wives concerned about husbands, and women with their own struggles such as drought, financial hardship, domestic violence, children with illness and many more.

“I firmly believe that men are valuable and important for the good of our families, our society, and our world.”

Mrs O’Brien was in South Australia at the time of the presentation, however said she was truly honoured to be its recipient.

“I am deeply humbled to be recognised by an organisation like Zonta. Given that I work with a strong focus of men, I did not expect to be recognised by a women’s group,” she said.

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Originally published as Zonta names Are You Bogged Mate? founder Mary O’Brien woman of the year